Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

Over the period, the project team started preparing for its first reforestation campaign of the year, producing one hundred Algarrobo (Neltuma spp) and fifty-four Porknut (Acacia macracantha) seedlings at the local nursery in Pacasmayo. The team held various meetings with some residents to discuss potential reforestation areas within Jequetepeque. And in July, the project reforested 0.81 hectares of dry forest with the collaboration of Mr. Montoya and his friends, planting eighty Algarobo trees (Neltuma spp).  

Furthermore, the team monitored the growth of previously reforested areas with the local community. A few simple indicators were measured, such as plant height, diameter and seedling survival. This participative approach to monitoring helps build a knowledge base within the community, and drive sustainability.    

The project has also been working with smallholder farmers in the local community to promote agroforestry practices by combining fruit trees with existing crops. Agroforestry can enhance crop production and generate income from fruit production. This year, the project provided one-hundred agroforestry tree species to farmers in Jetequepeque to plant on their farms, including passion fruit, passion fruit, lime, lemon and orange. Moreover, the project conducted workshops to build capacity for the farmers in Jequetepeque, Santonte and Tecapa. The topics of these workshops included Rice Crop Management in the face of Climate Change in the Jequetepeque Valley, Alternative Post-harvest Rice Crops in the Face of Climate Change, and the Management and Breeding of Small Animals.

Other achievements include the installation of ecological cookstoves and the promotion of microlivestock in community households.   The project delivered ten kits to Santonte and Pueblo Nuevo households, and a local mason from Tecapa built the improved cookstoves. 

This month, the project commenced repairs to the ecological cookstoves damaged by the floods in March in Jatanca and Santa Maria.  Thank you for all those who generously contributed to this campaign.